More WWE News: The Future Of The ECW Brand, WWE vs. Jesse Ventura
Posted by Larry Csonka on 12.02.2009
ECW could be gone, again…
- According to Pwinsider.com, WWE is working on a deal that could change the current landscape of the company. WWE and SyFy have had preliminary meetings regarding the rebranding of the ECW series, which would include dropping name and brand "ECW". SyFy has noticed the dropping ratings since the debut of the show, and with the current TV deal ending in December, WWE is looking to improve ratings and freshen up the product. There was talk of a "magazine style" show, which was shot down, and the most recent pitch is an hour long show focusing exclusively on brand new talents. SyFy was very behind the brand when it debuted with a rating of over 2.0, but with the rating now averaging around a 1.0, the appeal has been lost.
- There are also talks about making changes to the Smackdown brand, but there are no specifics on what the changes may be. The feeling is that the guest hosts gimmick has added depth to the Raw show, and that changes to Smackdown have to be made. [Credit: Pwinsider.com]
- WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura made an appearance on ESPN Radio Monday, and discussed the fact that WWE performers are labeled as independent contractors, but actually aren't since they cannot work anywhere else. World Wrestling Entertainment spokesperson Robert Mitchell spoke to the The Hartford Courant about Ventura's comments, stating…
"We find it highly hypocritical that Jesse had no problem coming on Monday Night Raw last week to promote his new project or was happy to be paid all those years by the WWE as a performer. He is just looking to garner additional press for his fledgling show, appropriately entitled 'Conspiracy Theory.'"
Individuals always talk bad about their former employer after they have left. Its just common nature.
Posted By: Guest#4118 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:11 PM
Everytime Vince touches smackdown the quality drops. Does RAW have to be the golden child and Smackdown have to be the child he abuses and rapes. Now he's going to kill his third child.
Posted By: Guest#6971 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:13 PM
So you fuckin FAILED Vince, at 're-imagining' ECW. Way to go, Old-News.
Posted By: C (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:13 PM
good, Christian for WWE champion!!
Posted By: jeff (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:15 PM
Guest hosts on Smackdown? Oh please no.
Posted By: Guest#3676 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:17 PM
The WWE has made a laughing stock of ECW and all it was. With it coming on at a later time, maybe they could change the PG rating for ECW. Perhaps change it back to EXTREME instead of ENTERTAINMENT.
Posted By: Doc (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Fuck that spokesperson.
Posted By: Kip (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:21 PM
"The feeling is that the guest hosts has added depth to the Raw show, and that changes to Smackdown have to be made."
Facepalm/10.
Posted By: Guest#2820 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:21 PM
Unification match for Christian with John Cena, Christian wins.
Posted By: Joel Yeomans (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:21 PM
Put dat dere Melina on all three shows. Problem solved.
Posted By: Bret Hart (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:23 PM
"The feeling is that the guest hosts has added depth to the Raw show, and that changes to Smackdown have to be made."
No...
Actually I would make a big deal out of this, but Smackdown has sucked the dick ever since Undertaker came back, so who cares, right?
Posted By: The REAL MP (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:23 PM
I'm kind of glad they are getting rid of the ECW brand. They should have never even brought that back.
Posted By: Kyh (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:23 PM
Isn't ECW the highest rated show on SyFy (dumbass name for a network)?
Posted By: Guest#8640 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:26 PM
how about making ECW EXTREME again? ever think of that?
Posted By: Wrestlekid (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:29 PM
WWE shaking things up?
Let ECW be the cruiser brand and take the reigns off. Also, expand the roster.
As for Smackdown being like Raw, let Raw have celebrity guest hosts while Smackdown gets guest GMs who are former superstars.
Posted By: Guest#6644 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:30 PM
Somewhere Heyman is either laughing or crying...probably both actually.
Posted By: The Celt (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:30 PM
I swear to all that is holy, if Smackdown gets guest hosts, I'm never watching wrestling again.
Posted By: Guest#7409 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:31 PM
"There are also talks about making changes to the Smackdown brand, but there are no specifics on what the changes may be. The feeling is that the guest hosts has added depth to the Raw show, and that changes to Smackdown have to be made. [Credit: Pwinsider.com]"
All the guest host does is take away from the wrestlers and the products. The WWE is a joke
Posted By: Guest#5399 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:32 PM
wwe should drop the ecw name because in 2009, it is worthless.
the fact is that some fans may not be watching ecw because they don't know that it is a wwe show and they think it is a competitor like tna.
if wwe gives the show a new name and feratures raw.sd talent, the ratings will improve right away.
Posted By: Guest#7372 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:34 PM
The guest hosts have added "depth" to Raw? Nope, all it's done is make the wrestlers look less important than ever. Why should anybody care about feuds or titles when WWE expects people to say "OMG, it's Mini-Me!!!!" This company is totally lost. Not dying, just too far gone from reality.
Posted By: Guest#5814 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:34 PM
--He is just looking to garner additional press for his fledgling show, appropriately entitled 'Conspiracy Theory.'"--
Ironically, by making this statement about Jesse, the WWE is helping to advertise the show for him.
Plus, this spokesman seems like a ho-bag.
Posted By: Guest#4113 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Nice seeing you again Jesse. See you in another ten years.
Posted By: Guest#7492 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:36 PM
Wow, for once WWE's bullshit PR team is actually right. Ventura talks out of both sides of his mouth, always has.
Posted By: Guest#4410 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:37 PM
The WWE is just scared of what could happen if the wrestlers ever organized. They are not Independent Contractors at all. The WWE tells them what to do, where to do it and even what to wear while getting there. I can't believe that they don't have to provide medical coverage to the wrestlers
Posted By: BigWar (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:38 PM
The WWE is just scared of what could happen if the wrestlers ever organized. They are not Independent Contractors at all. The WWE tells them what to do, where to do it and even what to wear while getting there. I can't believe that they don't have to provide medical coverage to the wrestlers
Posted By: BigWar (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Jesse was always outspoken about the rights of wrestlers. I remember his interviews trying to form a untion. He can say what he wants and Vince will be more than happy to bring him back.
Posted By: paul allen (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:43 PM
Ventura IS right though. The WWE mistreats the majority of its talent, labeling them as independent contractors but not actually letting them BE independent contractors is their way around a whole lot of issues. It is shady and needs to change in order to better the lives of the workers.
Posted By: Guest#0442 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Well, what does SyFy Network expect? It's still the highest rated program on their channel most of the time. Actually, the problem is the way WWE presents ECW as a show that does not matter and a belt that's not even worthy of defending on PPV's.
Make the ECW belt mean something. Put two ECW matches on a PPV. When you have a "bragging rights" PPV, make it look like ECW is at least in the conversation, if nothing else. Give them a match, for crying out loud.
If the ratings are dropping, my guess would be that they are dropping bnecause people see what ECW means to WWE. They know it doesn't matter in the story lines. They have no idea who most of these guys on the show are, and they don't watch.
Hard core ECW fans left a long time ago, which is part of why the 2.0's became 1.0's. I'm sure those people will be happy to see ECW fade away if that is what it has become.
Seriously, though, make it mater. Imagine what would have happened in the ratings if Cena lost to Orton and ended up on ECW, where he won the title. Nobody would have seen that coming. Imagine an ECW title match in the last hour of the PPV and a secondary ECW match to open the PPV with.
If they decide to keep ECW, here's an idea to try. Redo an invasion angle. Either with some people claiming to be WCW, or AWA. Yes, AWA. Get in touch with Dale over at WSL and make something happen. He was claiming to be AWA for over a decade with many title matches booked.
Now, it's a fight over the show and AWA and ECW title are alive. I know it won't happen, but it would shake things up.
If they simply drop ECW and make a show about new wrestlers, the ratings won't get bigger. Sorry, it won't happen. The news magazine idea was lame at best. Seriously, just freshen up ECW. Get rid of the lame eye candy GM and put somebody in with personality.
All they really need to do is make ECW mater in the story lines. Even if they don't win all the head to head band matches, if they compete and win once in a while, it will help.
Then again, maybe they'll just pull the plug on it. I don't see Vince giving up on that hour without a fight. as it means more money.
That's just my opinion, for whatever that's worth.
Posted By: Guy Incognito (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:53 PM
So Raw and its "guests hosts" is going through one of its worst eras ever, SmackDown is the far more entertaining show and...of course, let's make SmackDown more like Raw.
Just die already, Vince.
Posted By: JD (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:53 PM
if guest hosts come to smcakdown and they drop ecw. i will be forced to watch impact-NOOOOOOOOO!
Posted By: rey (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:02 PM
"The feeling is that the guest hosts gimmick has added depth to the Raw show, and that changes to Smackdown have to be made."
You mean that Raw has added depth to the pile of shit most random guest hosts add?
And why would you change Smackdown when they put on better wrestling than any other show on TV?
Posted By: Guest#1590 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:09 PM
could it just be that ecw really sucks?
Posted By: pjl (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:15 PM
I swear to all that is holy, if Smackdown gets guest hosts, I'm never watching wrestling again.
Posted By: Guest#7409 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:31 PM
Yeah I agree. Well maybe not wrestling but I always enjoyed SD as the "wrestling show". I love that SD isnt gimmick heavy or have that guest host crap.
The only change I'll make to SD is put it on a better night. Friday's can be WAY to busy.
Posted By: Guest#0041 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:22 PM
the guest host added "depth" to RAW?
Doesn't Raw's second hour rating drop every week?
Don't people constantly complain how bad RAW has been for MONTHS?
"depth"? really?
Posted By: Guest#0020 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:27 PM
WCW died, people dealt with it.
ECW died and the WRESTLERS (RVD) convinced Vince to do the ONS thing... But at it's BEST ECW wasn't even as popular as TNA. Yeah flame away, but it's true. ECW's national TV deal lasted how long? And they're PPV's did what buyrates? Thanks...
Let it freaking die, it was garbage wrestling that served a niche audience for a period of time. It's over, let it go.
Posted By: Guest#6915 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:30 PM
Oh, for God's sake... Why doesn't Vince just create an all-new sketch comedy show starring Cena, Hornswoggle, DX, and the non-wrestler Divas, and let the wrestling shows be WRESTLING SHOWS? That way he could still give his beloved preteen "casual fans" what he seems to think they want, while not turning the business that made him rich into something it's not supposed to be.
Posted By: Bruce L (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:32 PM
Wrestlers can purchase their own insurance! I would rather make $250,00/year without benefits than $100,000/year with benefits. Wrestlers can go to financial planners and save for retirement. They can also call insurers and purchase a plan. That's what business owners do!
Posted By: Just invest (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:45 PM
ECW should be WWE's X Division. Get a bunch of guys who can do impressive things in the ring, and let them show their stuff.
Posted By: HeartBurnKid (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:46 PM
ECW needs Paul Heyman back to revive the alliance like WCW/ECW alliance........
Posted By: collinrockett (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:46 PM
WWE needs to leave Smackdown alone, except to fire Matt Striker. The show doesn't need guest hosts. Don't make it like Raw, please.
Posted By: Chico (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:53 PM
Just shoot me. Problem solved.
Posted By: Brand Extension (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:54 PM
Dear Guy Incognito:
Shut up.
Sincerely, society.
Posted By: Society (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:56 PM
people sayign ECW is the highest rated show on SyFy do not have a clue.
They changed their name because now they do more programming. Ghost Hunters pulls moer ratings, as does Eureka, Warehouse 13, and countless other shows on SyFy. SyFy is not MyNetworkTv
Posted By: wrong (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:58 PM
1. End the brand extension.
2. Shift the low card guys from Raw & SD to ECW. Chavo, Santino, etc and let the work with the new talent.
3. Offer Undertaker 10 million dollars to retire. The guy puts nobody over. He wrestles a half ass schedule. People complain about HHH but at least he seems to actually enjoy wrestling. Let Kane and Taker feud with DX until the cows come home and free up the rest of the talent to have actual entertaining matches with each other.
4.Build up actual young guys to contend for the titles. With the proper build there are any number of guys who'd be more qualified than Sheamus.
1.Swagger
2.MVP
3.Morrison
4.Either member of Legacy
5.Miz
6.McIntyre
7.Dolph Ziggler
Posted By: Jake Fury (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:00 PM
They should've dropped the name ECW right after 'One night Stand II' cause the Vince completely BURIED it just weeks after it!.
Posted By: Leon (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Vince: "I've abandoned my child!!! I've abandoned my boy!!"
Posted By: Mr. Mack (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:27 PM
I hope they do take ECW off the air. If they want to develop minor league wrestlers then do so through FCW. Dont waste a program on Syfy for lame green inexeperienced tlent. Nobdy is going to pay to see Lance Varcher wrestle. Only thing worth watching on that show are Christian's matches.
Posted By: guestwwe (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:28 PM
Good, hopefully ECW does get a name change. I like the show, but it is annoying how they still call it ECW, "The Land of Extreme", when it hasn't retained any aspect of the original ECW or get any more "exteme" than the other two brands.
Posted By: Shaun J. (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:28 PM
Dear Robert Mitchell, either debunk the message itself or shut up. Shooting the messenger shows you have no defense.
Posted By: Crimefighter (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:35 PM
"how about making ECW EXTREME again? ever think of that?"
******************
Then it can fail like it did the FIRST time.
Posted By: Guest#8905 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Jesse Ventura always has something to say. That's just the type of person he is.
Posted By: Dwayne (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 06:57 PM
Now I guess the IWC will start with the "Vince should just close the WWE down once and for all" line.
The problem with that is then all we would have is TNA. I am going to make this perfectly clear to the IWC so that they can understand it: I DON'T WANT TNA TO BE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN. I know that would be paradise for you if Raw, Smackdown, Wrestlemania and the whole WWE to go away forever, but that would not be good for business to have one company in business and on TV.
That is my bottom line: While yes I hope that TNA gets competitive, WWE WILL NOT DIE.
Posted By: Guest#2569 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 07:08 PM
I Like the cruiser idea. I think they should let ECW be a show for pure wrestling fans(IWC included). CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Evan Bourne, Kaval, Morrison, and a lot of IWC favorites could carry this thing. No I am not one of the many IWC aka ROH aka TNA is GREAT fanboys. I am first and foremost a WWE fan, but I also recognize that there is no place for real pro-wrestling fans, and that is the problem with ratings. People are watching, just not the real fans. You know, the people who actually made the attitude era what it was, and the people who could help turn this unknown era in to prosperity. Hey Vince, you tried and failed at shoving this crap down our throats. Now try listening to the people. If you smell what the people is cookin?
Posted By: Joe (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 07:20 PM
ECW gone. oh, well.
It was a lie. It was not extreme.
Sidenote: Extreme isn't PG.
So, Christian is going to be the last ECW champion.
Posted By: wrestling maniac (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 07:38 PM
I guess Vince is just bitter because of how Ventura's lawyers wiped the floor with his back in '94. 820 Gs in roylaties Vinnie Mac. You won the steroid trial but you lost the war to Governor Jesse. I guess Vince is mad Jesse got out of the business before he could drug him and kill him.
Posted By: guestwwe (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 07:50 PM
im pretty sure ECW isnt even close to being the highest rated show on Syfy...Stargate/Warehouse 13 are all higher rated and im pretty sure the reality shows are also
Posted By: ggny (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 07:57 PM
turn the ECW to the R18 brand it should be.
mix a bit of MMA maybe..
Posted By: Guest#2851 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 08:06 PM
works for me piss on ECW though Christian is a badass
Posted By: Pete K (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 08:32 PM
Wait, so now that SyFy is complaining they realize ECW needs to be handled differently? That's rich. How about not treating the show like a joke and have the title mean something...then maybe people will give a shit. All that talent over there is just wasted.
Also, if they fuck up SmackDown by adding a ton of entertainment BS, I'm done. SmackDown is the one bright spot in the WWE.
Posted By: KX (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 09:00 PM
I've made this argument before (& my wrestling friends definitely agree) that Vince "revived" the wrong company. He bought WCW & ECW. Before they each went tits up, even though they both had slipping ratings, which of the 2 had better ratings? If you guessed WCW, you're absolutely right! He bought WCW for $1M & did NOTHING with it! Granted, only a handful of WCW guys are in the WWE (Big Show, Jericho, Hurricane, Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero...to name a few) & others have retired/gone on to other organizations/passed on since 2001 (Goldberg, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero...to name a few). Since there is very little left of ECW (hardly any originals left/very few "Extreme"/"Hardcore" matches etc.), I say "Good Riddance!"..."Put it out of it's misery!" & if a 3rd brand is desired, do WCW...call it Nitro or revive Clash Of The Champions.
Posted By: Vince made a boo boo! (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 09:10 PM
wwe should never bring back wcw. ecw and wcw are worthless from a brand standpoint in 2010.
mcmahon owns all the footage of past promotions and he can still make money off the footage through dvds.
the show on tusedays should be a staight up wwe show and if they put some name talent on it, the ratings will rise quickly.
Posted By: Guest#2586 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 10:03 PM
If they add the Guest Host gimmick to SmackDown I may never watch WWE again...seriously.
Posted By: bighustle (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 10:05 PM
So they obviously gave to shits about my response to their survey
Posted By: bighustle (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Deluded fg76: I can't wait until Hogan wrestles in TNA, wins the title and destroys Angle and all those other jobbers. The WWE will then push the real talent like Kane, and rehire real talent like Scott Hall and Sid.
Not insane fg76: I wasn't a fan of the old ECW, but I was enjoy the ONS series the WWE did. They should have kept it as a yearly "Rated R" event.
In my opinion, the WWE has been crap since about 2006, and it last good year to me was 2005. Oh they're been some good shows and matches since 2006, but really the promotion lost its soul in late 2001.
Posted By: fg76 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 10:40 PM
I kinda liked what they were doing with ECW the last year or so making it the development ground of new talent and getting them some work on an arena and TV stage. With that in mind, I'd be OK with them doing an hour-long show with more talent, maybe even having a televised FCW event and getting more youngsters in there.
Oh, and since this an IWC thread, let me add: wah wah wah TV PG wah wah WWE is dead wah wah I don't watch it but I do secretly and just pretend that I hate it here wah wah give me Impact and Scott Steiner butchering English anyday wah wah good day.
Was that an accurate enough routine IWC comment to be as cool as some of you?
Posted By: Milkmanv1 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 10:46 PM
RIP ECW
Posted By: ICON (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 10:59 PM
ECW was good, until they took away all the good young wrestlers. Hart Dynasty, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Sheamus, etc.
I think bringing back the "talent exchange" with Smackdown would help.
I don't like the guest hosts at all but WWE isn't catering to me anymore. The ratings have stayed around the same, from what I've seen, and it gives them an easy 15 minutes to fill each week. In my eyes, Smackdown has gone downhill lately along with ECW. I'm starting to enjoy TNA more than WWE's programming.
Posted By: Guest#9709 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Now I guess the IWC will start with the "Vince should just close the WWE down once and for all" line.
The problem with that is then all we would have is TNA. I am going to make this perfectly clear to the IWC so that they can understand it: I DON'T WANT TNA TO BE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN. I know that would be paradise for you if Raw, Smackdown, Wrestlemania and the whole WWE to go away forever, but that would not be good for business to have one company in business and on TV.
That is my bottom line: While yes I hope that TNA gets competitive, WWE WILL NOT DIE.
Posted By: Guest#2569 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 07:08 PM
Is that you Matt Hardy?
Posted By: Showster (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 11:47 PM
"wwe should never bring back wcw. ecw and wcw are worthless from a brand standpoint in 2010."
Uh, no, a lot of the fans aren't 10 and under. There are still a LOT of WCW fans around.
I actually sorta can't wait til Triple H takes over the company. Unlike his father-in-law, he's willing to use ideas that weren't originated in WWE. He's wanted to do the two-ring-cage War Games match for years, but Vince doesn't want to cause it was a WCW idea.
Posted By: rich (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 11:55 PM
The Governor's been saying that for more than 15 years.
Posted By: EvilEss (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:05 AM
LOL you all are so concerned and upset... I watch TNA, they don't let me down. I only watch WWE if something worth watching is going on, which is rare. I'll be taking a look at Styles vs Daniels(a real wrestling match) you all go ahead and keep watching WWE, the company that frequently make dramatic changes at the expense of their fans, who complain, yet they still watch the bullshit anyway
Posted By: Alex (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:20 AM
They should just take the ECW time slot and show classic wrestling footage. It isn't like the WWE is in short supply of footage.
Posted By: cool245 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:46 AM
There is no truth to the rumor that SyFy wanted the show rebranded EasyDubU, about a college for rave DJs. They were unaware DJ Gabriel was no longer part of the roster.
Likewise, SmackDown to feature celebrity wrestlers has NOT been announced.
Posted By: Trueindeed (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 01:08 AM
SyFy is now wondering where the ratings went. And they realized their highest rated ECW episode was the night The Zombie made his highly anticipated debut. Oh snap, I might have just gotten the Zombie a job in TNA for this one. Man, I can't wait for the Nasty Boys vs The Steiners.
Posted By: Joe (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 02:09 AM
So ECW is the highest rated show on the network but they're still going to complain and say it's not good enough. Dumb, dumb, dumb. But enough about TNN in 1999. Let's talk about SyFy in 2009, ECW is their highest rated show...
Posted By: Mr B (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 02:51 AM
If they really decide to get rid of ECW, they should really just try to give Smackdown it's time slot and make it live. Then WWE Superstars could be a showcase for up-and-coming talent. MyNetwork TV can be either a repeat of Smackdown or combine Raw/Smackdown matches and whatever else and call it something like "My WWE."
Posted By: Guest#6128 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 02:55 AM
So, after COMPLETELY destroying the legacy of ECW, Vince is NOW going to pull the plug?
Posted By: MAniac (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 03:42 AM
Wow. Just wow. Vince is making it easier and easier to stop watching this crap. Soon Wrestlemania will be nothing but 3 hours of celebrities, musicians, and divas parading around. I can finally save my money and stop having Wrestlemania parties. FREE AT LAST!!!!
Posted By: IWC Member #23495867 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 07:32 AM
You know what needs to be changed with Smackdown?
The fucking timeslot.
Get it off Friday nights when most of your viewers are out living it up, and put it on on Wednesday. Not Thurssday, lest you crush your only competitor and all hope of a new Monday Night War (read wrestling boom).
Posted By: Quimby (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 07:41 AM
Edge & Christian vs. Jerishow for the Tag Titles at Wrestlemania.
Posted By: Wrestlemania (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:28 AM
WCW died, people dealt with it.
ECW died and the WRESTLERS (RVD) convinced Vince to do the ONS thing... But at it's BEST ECW wasn't even as popular as TNA. Yeah flame away, but it's true. ECW's national TV deal lasted how long? And they're PPV's did what buyrates? Thanks...
Let it freaking die, it was garbage wrestling that served a niche audience for a period of time. It's over, let it go.
Posted By: Guest#6915 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:30 PM
So, I realize you just want to get a reaction from people and likely never watched ECW when it was around - but Barely Legal did a .26 buyrate. That's approximately 260,000 buys. TNA had a PPV this year that was estimated at 7,000 buys. The fact is, while ECW's national television deal may have not worked out - they routinely had a conversion rate of 20% - 25% in getting people who watched their television programming to buy their PPVs. TNA has 1,300,000 watching Impact, but can only garner enough interest to sell 7,000 PPV buys? PATHETIC. End of story.
Posted By: Save_Us_Y2J (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:44 AM
I think E.C.W. would rock if they just featured tag team talent. Put the unified Tag belts as E.C.W. exclusive and focus just on bringing in quality tag teams.[and i dont mean crap like the highlanders or cryme tyme]
Posted By: Old School Fan (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:48 AM
if wwe gives the show a new name and feratures raw.sd talent, the ratings will improve right away.
Posted By: Guest#7372 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:34 PM
That's only a temporary fix. Superstars already does this and it's ratings rarely reach where ECWs are now. It might just be the lack of availability of My Network TV, but when's the last time SmackDown cracked a 2.0?
If you make ECW anything other than its own brand, then ratings will be right back at 1.2 as soon as the upper echelon decide they're tired of slumming it. It happened with Heat and Velocity, it is happening with Superstars, and it happened after Big Show and all the Batista/Taker/Lashley type challengers stopped being on ECW.
Posted By: pd (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 11:57 AM
notice how the spokesman in no way argued with what Jesse said?
Posted By: thejyav (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Kinda like how hypocritical WWE is? They know Jesse's an independent thinker.
I'd actually look forward to them "killing off" ECW. Not only should ECW's legacy be tainted, but it's only ECW in name only. They could use an overall brand rehaul.
And dear God please don't let them have guest hosts on Smackdown.
Posted By: Guest#6711 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Please kill off ECW, it's not even a pale shadow of the original version - it's been a pile o crap ever since Vince and co pissed on the original ECW corpse to see what would happen.
Posted By: JAK (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:35 PM
The WWE is just scared of what could happen if the wrestlers ever organized. They are not Independent Contractors at all. The WWE tells them what to do, where to do it and even what to wear while getting there. I can't believe that they don't have to provide medical coverage to the wrestlers
Posted By: BigWar (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Ventura IS right though. The WWE mistreats the majority of its talent, labeling them as independent contractors but not actually letting them BE independent contractors is their way around a whole lot of issues. It is shady and needs to change in order to better the lives of the workers.
Posted By: Guest#0442 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 04:52 PM
I don't want to be disrespectful to anyone here, but I get the distinct impression that you guys have no real idea how the whole thing with "independent contractors" works. I work for UPS and we have contracted employees. Depending on the terms of the contracts they sign, most of them cannot go work for competing companies for many reasons. The contractors are not giving health benefits either. This is not uncommon. Also, here's something else. Many employers do NOT provide healthcare benefits to their employees whether they be full time or part time. The last 3 or 4 jobs my wife had did not provide any such benefits. The bottom line is that no one is forcing anyone into a career in professional wrestling. Pretty much anyone who gets in, knows what they are getting into. If wrestlers have a problem with the terms of their contracts, then they should not sign them. It's like any other industry. You think someone who signs exclusively with one record company can go and record an album with another record company? Or do you think that an actor who is signed exclusively to one studio can do pictures with another? Why would WWE be any different? A union would change nothing as a signed contract is legally binding. If the wrestlers want a better life for themselves, they need to learn how to save and properly invest their money, as well as have some other set of skills that they can use to find work outside of wrestling as wrestling careers often and always do end. Also, Jesse Ventura has been peddling this same nonsense for well over a decade already.
Posted By: BigTaurus78 (Registered) on December 03, 2009 at 01:58 PM
WCW died, people dealt with it.
ECW died and the WRESTLERS (RVD) convinced Vince to do the ONS thing... But at it's BEST ECW wasn't even as popular as TNA. Yeah flame away, but it's true. ECW's national TV deal lasted how long? And they're PPV's did what buyrates? Thanks...
Let it freaking die, it was garbage wrestling that served a niche audience for a period of time. It's over, let it go.
Posted By: Guest#6915 (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 05:30 PM
Bingo (pun intended), ECW had it's moments and some good stuff but was way too heavy on the garbage wrestling. How in the hell can you give the Sandman your top title? They guy was terrible.
Posted By: Tbone3771 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 06:07 PM
I'm for having one brand. One WWE world champion, one intercontinental champion, and even though i'd prefer no women's division I think one would satisfy me as bathroom break material. PPV's were so much better back in the old days when one match had months of build and even the midcarders got a shot every once and awhile.
Posted By: Derek (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 07:00 PM
So, I realize you just want to get a reaction from people and likely never watched ECW when it was around - but Barely Legal did a .26 buyrate. That's approximately 260,000 buys. TNA had a PPV this year that was estimated at 7,000 buys. The fact is, while ECW's national television deal may have not worked out - they routinely had a conversion rate of 20% - 25% in getting people who watched their television programming to buy their PPVs. TNA has 1,300,000 watching Impact, but can only garner enough interest to sell 7,000 PPV buys? PATHETIC. End of story.
Posted By: Save_Us_Y2J (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:44 AM
And you're crazy... ECW NEVER did that kinda buyrate. If they had they would have existed on their PPV's but they couldn't so they died. And they should have stayed dead.
ECW had more crap than anything.
It was a NICHE. End of story.
Posted By: Guest#9807 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 09:27 PM
Funny how the ratings dropped as the original wrestlers and style faded from ECW. Same old shit...
Posted By: PlummerLovesYou (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:53 PM
After watching this week's edition of ECW, no wonder they are wanting to put ECW to the chopping block. The opening segment of the Abe Washington show was and is a complete waste of time! It seemed to bring down the mood of the show and the audience didn't seem to care to be watching it either. If you don't believe me check it out on Youtube.
Posted By: Where did ECW go?? (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:54 PM
So, I realize you just want to get a reaction from people and likely never watched ECW when it was around - but Barely Legal did a .26 buyrate. That's approximately 260,000 buys. TNA had a PPV this year that was estimated at 7,000 buys. The fact is, while ECW's national television deal may have not worked out - they routinely had a conversion rate of 20% - 25% in getting people who watched their television programming to buy their PPVs. TNA has 1,300,000 watching Impact, but can only garner enough interest to sell 7,000 PPV buys? PATHETIC. End of story.
Posted By: Save_Us_Y2J (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:44 AM
And you're crazy... ECW NEVER did that kinda buyrate. If they had they would have existed on their PPV's but they couldn't so they died. And they should have stayed dead.
ECW had more crap than anything.
It was a NICHE. End of story.
Hmm...
PPV Name- ECW Barely Legal
Date - 4/13/97
Buyrate - 0.26
Attendance - 1,170
City - Philadelphia, PA
Arena - ECW Arena
It's a well documented fact that Barely Legal did a .26. Actually, they never produced a PPV that drew lower than .2. Sorry to burst your bubble, but ECW actually produced a product their fanbase would PAY to see. ECW had about 15% crap, as opposed to WWE's 40% and TNA's 80%.
Posted By: Save_Us_Y2J (Guest) on December 04, 2009 at 12:58 AM
1.They should just unified all 3 major titles
2.Stop pushing Cena so much, try to put other superstars like Kofi, Morrison, MVP, Shelton to build up main event status.
3.Get rid of ECW b/c Vince killed it
4.Come up with better gimmick matches never seen in WWE, for example War Games from WCW.
5.Make better creative names for the ppv not like TLC or Hell in a Cell.
6.End the Brand Extension, make it how it was before it
Posted By: Guest (Guest) on December 25, 2009 at 11:31 AM
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